<p>So I just reviewed my Common Application essay, after having already submitted it to Yale and Boston College, and discovered that I made one mechanical error; I used "then" in the grammatical context of "than."</p>
<p>Naturally, being a perfectionist, I am fussing over this, but as far as I can see it is the only grammatical or mechanical error in my essay (and, of course, I fixed it for all other institutions).</p>
<p>So how important is this? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Why did you submit your essay so early?</p>
<p>If you feel really badly, send both admission offices a cover letter along with the updated essay.</p>
<p>I've always been one to get things out of the way early...</p>
<p>I do feel badly. But I'm asking whether or not sending the updated essay in is actually worth it. It is literally one letter of one word out of 500 words, and it may not even be readily apparent.</p>
<p>What's your take? Would it affect my chances?</p>
<p>No one knows. Your call.</p>
<p>No. It's not worth sending a letter. It would make you seem way too neurotic. ;)</p>
<p>Typos happen. Good heavens, there's only one in your entire essay? That's fantastic.</p>
<p>FWIW, my son had several in his, including a word missing in one sentence that made the sentence grammatically meaningless. He didn't realize it actually until after they accepted him.</p>
<p>There are even a couple books out there on applying to colleges that mention how if the whole package seems too polished it's a little suspect, and applicants may be well advised to make sure there are a couple little mistakes in there.</p>
<p>Don't know that I'd want my kids to do that intentionally --ha!-- but it should go someway toward relieving you of worry about this. Look at it as a plus. ;)</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for the answers so far.</p>
<p>rentof2: I am somewhat neurotic when it comes to these things. I rarely make a spelling error, and when I do, I ALWAYS catch it in the proofreading.</p>
<p>(I'm not trying to sound cocky... Just explaining my perfectionist nature).</p>
<p>However, I do understand what you're saying and I appreciate the advice.</p>
<p>I hear ya. I am neurotic, too, but sometimes you need to think about where there is a case of diminishing returns. Honestly, think about it, if you were an admissions officer and you got an erratum notice from a student that one "e" in her essay ought to have been an "a"... I mean, what would you think?</p>
<p>When my S and I were visiting one top college the admissions officer doing the info session said, "When you're writing essays for the SAT test, they care less about what you say and more about how you say it. Here, for admissions essays it's the opposite."</p>
<p>But, truly, decisions like this are entirely up to you... of course.</p>